Lynne Harkes on losing £20 and the mysterious way in which it was returned to her

In this month’s blog, Edinburgh-based author and artist Lynne Harkes, reflects on the challenges and rewards of giving – and receiving. After losing a £20 note while out jogging, Lynne decides to let it go. “I thought no more the incident until a couple of weeks ago when I came across a £20 note lying on the pavement near my house. This is the first time I have ever come across any money dropped on a pavement and the fact that it was precisely the amount I’d ‘lost’ earlier took me aback.”

Delighted but also uncomfortable with her good luck, Lynne was led to reflect on the importance of learning how to receive. “It’s all very well to donate and help others and even to bless our losses but we should receive with love and give thanks for whatever comes our way. This small incident had made a big impression on me and has shown me where I have room for improvement.”

Lynne’s first book, Spinach Soup for the Walls: Finding my spirit in Africa (Local Legend), was released last year and tells the story of how Lynne fought to rediscover her own spirituality and find a new way of thinking while living in the jungle of Gabon, West Africa.

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Lynne was born in Edinburgh, where she currently lives and works as an artist. She is accustomed to expressing herself and her wonderful creativity in her bold and beautiful flower paintings, which have been exhibited worldwide and hang in collections in India, Australia, South America, Kuwait, Oman, Bali, South Africa and the UK.
In recent years, however, Lynne has also derived great pleasure from using her creative talents to write about some of the colourful places she is fortunate to have lived in, due to the nature of her husband’s work, which has seen him relocate every few years. Lynne believes her creativity in both her art and literary work is a way for her to shares the spirituality that is so important to her.
“At times, just as my paints freely move across the canvas, with seemingly little effort on my part, the words in my book ‘Spinach Soup for the Walls’ have come together almost magically and powerfully convey the highs and lows of expatriate travelling life. I feel that a message of hope has come through for people who may be encountering personal struggles. We think we have to slay rampaging lions, or have walked through blazing fires to have a life-altering, personal transformation. Nothing could be further from the truth. My story is simple in its content and moderate in its drama but remarkable in its lessons. I hope my words will inspire people to see the remarkable in their ‘ordinary’.”

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